pencil
/ˈpensəl/PEN-suhl
/ˈpɛnsəl/PEN-suhl
Meaninga little tail, a fine brush
Common meaning: a writing stick
Other meanings: once a fine brush
- pencila little tail, a fine brushSkeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), p. 432 · scan
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin penicillus ‘a little tail, a fine brush’.
Roots
- penicillus Latin “a little tail, a fine brush”
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